La belle inconnue death mask
In the late 19th century, the Paris morgue exhibited unidentified bodies ostensibly so they could be recognized and claimed, but it turned into a huge tourist attraction. This particular woman was of note: She was dragged out of the Seine, her identity a mystery, and this death mask (a common memorial at the time) was made to capture her enchanting features.
“This death mask was popular with bohemians and artists. They hung it in their homes,” Ebenstein says. “Part of the mystique was that she was so pretty, the not-knowing-who-she-was elusiveness, the beautiful, mysterious drowned woman with the Mona Lisa smile.”
Photo: Brian Zak